Tom’s Note:
When I announced my engagement to my Malay wife, most people wanted to know if was circumcised. I said yes I was, however, the question still kept coming. I finally asked if they wanted to see it. Nobody took me up on the offer. Even after the honeymoon, people asked my wife the status of my penis. A few years later, my nephews elected to undergo the procedure at the ages of 10 and 12. Blood and pain followed for three days afterwards. My son is now at that age and I refuse to give my permission. He can be circumcised, if he chooses, after he turns 18. It will be his choice. As for me, it is between me and Allah and nobody else.
The Sealako
The Selako live in the Lundu area of Sarawak. They speak a separate dialect and their origins are uncertain. One possibility is that they were a nuisance to the Dutch and they offloaded them at Santubong. This would explain their unique dialect being isolated from its origins in the Pontianak-Sambas areas. From here, they associated with the Malays and adopted the Malay ritual of circumcision before moving to Lundu. The Selako are the only Ulu group who have circumcision.
Oral History Sarawak Tribune
On another account from the Sarawak Tribune (thanks Jo Jang), the Selako arrived here in 1875 and began to build a kampong in Sematan called Kampong Pueh. They came here from Kalimatan.
From a historian in Pontianak, Indonesia
When Rajah Tengah left Sambas he was followed by the Malays and Dyak Kenaytan to an area called Serawak. The Sultan was killed. The Dayak Kenayatan became residents of Santubong and married into the local community.
Much later
In West Kalimantan, there were many kingdoms. Each was ruled by their ruler. The Kanaytan Dyaks lived in Landak, Menyuke and Sengah Temila. The Dutch colonists began to rule and the people were forced to pay taxes. An armed rebellion rose in Landak. This was led by Gusti Abdurani and Pangeran Nata Kusuma. Many Kanaytan, including Panglima Bida, Aanngu, Daud joined the rebels. The rebellion was crushed in 1914 and the Dutch exiled them to Sarawak, Sambas and Sabah.
We have many scattered histories of the Selako and will try to put them all together.
Circumcision Ceremony
Their story begins with the god warrior Panglima Maniamas. He had employed the tuba root to fish for the Jelawat, a delicious freshwater fish from the Kapuas River. In the river, there lived the Queen Jelawat who at that instant was suffering from thirst. On finding the stream was poisoned they moved upriver. They found a tree hollow with water that was the urine (semen?) of the Panglima Maniamas. She became pregnant and gave birth to a boy named Guanse’. She left crying on rocks in the. river.
The cry came to the attention of an orangutan called Unte’. The child grew up to be vigorous youth. He often joined the rest of the group playing tops at Maniamas compound. The child recognized Maniamas as his father and called to him. Maniamas denied he was the father because he had never had sex with the child’s mother.
Maniamas became angry with the teenager’s claims and refused to circumcise him. The brother, Hujamas, took pity on the boy and circumcised him. The boys all went on a headhunting trip and Guanse’ managed to capture the most heads. He was rewarded with a beautiful Princess named Dayang Rumanti, the daughter of Saribu Mata. From this story, circumcision became related to success in headhunting. Later, after the prohibition against the taking of heads, it meant the person would achieve wealth and knowledge.
The basunat or baturih ceremony is regarded by the Selako whereby the body is cleansed of impurities. Hence, they would refer to it as babuang sia, where sia was a corruption of the Malay word sial.
The pre-ritual includes the family inviting the tukang sunat (a person who acts as a go-between this world and the world of the spirits) to their apartment in the longhouse. The father then presented the chief with some rice, a reel of thread, a piece of a porcelain plate with turmeric rice, an oblong brass box that contains betel nuts, lime, gambier and some tobacco. (The brass box is also used for other rituals.)
During the morning of the day before, the girls make cakes from rice flour for the expected guests. The household then invites other people from the kampong. The guests will bring beer, an orange concentrate drink, biscuits, noodles, uncooked rice or chicken. Selako youths are not expected to bring a gift but are expected to help in the padi fields.
Early the following morning, the boy is taken to a nearby stream by the elder. The tukang sunat slaughters a chicken and pieces of it are set by the stream. This is meant to placate the spirits of the stream. The boy moves into the water. A few minutes later, the tukang sunat clears the debris from around the boy and then chops the water next to his head while muttering about brushing aside bad things. He gets into the water and slaps the boy lightly. The lad must then go underwater seven times. Naked and shivering, he is carried by his Uncle back to the house.
The fowl waving ceremony then commences. Three chicken are waved over the boys head with one of the chickens slaughtered while the chicken is held aloft. The knife is inserted into the chicken’s throat and the blood is collected and thrown away. This symbolizes the disposal of bad spirits from the body.
The boy is sat on a gong with his Uncle behind him. Girls and women are not allowed to be present. The tunkut sunat has prepared a concoction for him to drink which is supposed to control bleeding. Using some lime, the tukang sunat draws a square on the boys’ pubis. With a sharp penknife, he slits the foreskin. The blood from the penis is collected in a coconut shell filled with ash. (After the third day, this mixture was thrown away) He then spits a mixture of saliva and chewed betel nut onto the cut. He wets the boys head and turmeric rice is sprinkled over his head. The teenager must sleep with a stick between his legs that is secured by twine to each thigh. This prevents any opening of the wound.
After three days, the boy was allowed to take a bath. He was expected to take along a knife or spear on his way to the stream. These were to protect him against any malicious spirits He also made some wooden flowers which were planted nearby to warn the girls and ladies that he was bathing. If a girl or women happened to come close he would throw the spear and yell Dusa arus pangkarapus! which means “allow what is done”
There is one more ritual that the boy has to go through and that is called “to go hunting”. In the olden days, this meant headhunting. This ritual insured bravery, endurance and achievement. Before embarking, three chickens are sacrificed. If this ceremony is not done, then the hunt is for a woman. If it is, the hunt is for enemies.
The boy is dressed up in a sarong, t-shirt and headband. A woven basket is worn on his head. He also holds another basket that contains a small pot of rice. He is given a small spear or knife. Before leaving the house, he is sprinkled with rice and blesses the gods such as the ancestor gods, the moon god and the god of the star Pleiades.
He then goes to a stream with his mates in search of the anyunk fish. As a fish surfaces, it is hit over the head with a stick. On every hit, he has to count to three and then yells Dusa Arus Pangkarapus! After about thirty minutes the fish are cooked on the shore with salt or blachan (a spicy shrimp paste). After eating, he and his mates continue with their hunt to bring back enough fish for the kampong. When they have collected enough fish they look for sugar cane. They throw their spear at it and then nibble some off while yelling
Dusa Arus Pangkarapus!
He returns back to the house and once again yells Dusa Arus Pangkarapas!. He is then given a knife by his father. In determining his future personality trait, he is offered two types of rice, one warm and one cold. He doesn’t know which is which. If he chooses the warm rice he will be quick-tempered but if chooses the cool one he will be of good character.
From: Selako Circumcision by Awang Hasmadi Awang Mois in The Sarawak Museum Journal December 1981
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